New Sanctions For The Tag Team Champions

Haas & Benjamin will face the consequences…

Over the last month Charlie Haas, a man who has truly earned the nickname “The Outlaw” in the last few months, has shown that he is truly a dishonorable person.His actions since losing the World Tag Titles at “Final Battle 2011” have grown increasingly loathsome and ROH management as well as the vast majority of locker room look upon the actions of this hostile individual with disdain.Unfortunately it seems that regaining the championship will not stem this behavior…

Last Saturday night at “The Battle For Richmond” in Virginia, Haas got his team disqualified after he blatantly pushed referee Paul Turner in an impromptu World Tag Title match against the Bravado Brothers. WGTT proceeded to assault Harlem & Lancelot until the intervention of The All Night Express which then led directly into the previously scheduled, and long awaited, World Tag Title match that Rhett Titus & Kenny King had earned months prior.

Sadly their dreams were shattered when Haas blasted Rhett Titus in the head with the Tag Team Championship belt, intentionally getting disqualified, and thus saving the titles for himself & Shelton for the second time in one night.

Later that evening, Haas and Jay Briscoe battled it out in a wild Unsanctioned Lights Out Fight that saw the whole ringside area get destroyed.Still, even in an environment where the rules were essentially meaningless, Charlie found a way to be victorious in an utterly disreputable fashion as he used the top ring rope that had been removed earlier in the match to low blow Jay and immediately pin him. Also it must be mentioned that Charlie also required interference from Shelton Benjamin to even get into a position to win the battle.

It was in many ways akin to what Haas did to Mark Briscoe at “Border Wars”, finding a way to win in a disgusting fashion even in a lawless environment, and outrage everyone was from fans to ROH employees. ROH officials feel it is now at a point were they are left no choice but to do something in order to contain Charlie Haas and bring integrity back to the ROH World Tag Team Championship.

Thus, earlier today, ROH officials sent out a memo stating:

“Effectively immediately, and for the duration in which Charlie Haas and Shelton Benjamin hold the ROH World Tag Team Championship, the titles can, and will, change hands on a disqualification in championship matches. This ruling is being made in order to encourage WGTT to show honor and dignity during matches, and being champions, represent ROH with a certain level of integrity. As unfortunate as it would be for the titles to change hands on a disqualification, we find it would be even more unfortunate if Charlie Haas & Shelton Benjamin continue to display behavior that displeases everyone from the fans to the officials to the wrestlers.”